


So, so very cold.

by wideeyedaxolotl



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen, I must explore the tags more on this site..., What even to tag this as, could very easily be shippy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:05:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6601477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wideeyedaxolotl/pseuds/wideeyedaxolotl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neku goes with Shiki (among others) to hang out for the day. How fun! However, something seems to linger in his mind, no matter how many times he tries to push the thought away... (post game setting, mind!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	So, so very cold.

There’s something…uncomfortable – it’s really hard to put it as anything else – as he steps off the train, the iconic, repetitive ring of the speaker confirming the current stop he'd found himself at.

Really, he's not sure why it’s putting him at such unease. Today was supposed to be a nice, low key day with some of his friends, right? Just a fun get together with friends – gosh, it was still surreal associating people with this word – as they all played at some of the arcades in Akihabara, stopped for some udon at a local shop, and now, were aiming to see the rumored lights in Ginza…

A frigid breeze passes, bringing his hands up to his sides, shivering slightly. Like the fool he was, he had only thrown on a light jacket and a woolly scarf, and the pants he was wearing barely kept the cold out. Though, perhaps, it was more from habit that he’d forgotten?

…the wind back at home was far warmer.

A voice – one of his friends – brings him out from his thoughts, gently tugging as she’d lead him towards a particular street. “We’ve got to be close!” The friend would say, “Aren’t you excited?”

He should be excited.

…right?

But, as he would draw closer to the bright, decorative lights, the thought still lingers. It’s fitting, really – no matter how much he’d try to pull it out of his head, somehow, it worms its way back, finding somewhere comfortable in his mind to stay. Oh, this thought was _exactly_ like them, wasn't it? Utterly annoying, and gosh, so very clingy.

Another gust passes by, pushing through the gap between him and his friend, who was far too eager pointing out how beautiful the lights had been set up, or how well kept the trees were.

Compared to back home, these gusts were..

Without realizing, he had stopped where he was, causing the latter to be suddenly jerked back, reining her in from her light watching. “..huh..? Hey, are you doing ok..?”

Those were the words that he heard from his friend, but it felt as if they went one ear, and out the other, without an inch of response present on his face. And then, gradually, would come the very delayed, slow reply: “…I’m just tired from today.”

He's not sure to be thankful or not that his friend seems to dismiss pestering too much further, instead making a upset pout. “Why didn’t you tell me, then?” She’d ask, “I’m not going to drag you around all day if you’re exhausted. We can head back anytime.”

Truthfully, he still did want to see the rest of the lights, but before he could make a comment about it, his head nods, confirming to his friend that he, indeed, wanted to head back home.

The train ride was long and grueling, but as soon as he had made it back, and the doors had opened…

Something – no, perhaps someone – seemed to confirm to him that he was safe now. That he was home, that every breeze would feel less like a frigid blast of air, and more like a comforting embrace…

Though, ‘comforting’ was a bit of a stretch. He could easily imagine some sort of witty remark laced in, teasing him about who knows what, or maybe even just taunting him with a ‘oh, so you _have_ missed me, have you?’

Yeah, he could easily imagine that smug little prick saying that.

As if on cue, he’d make the effort to mutter a curse, trying not to voice it loud enough to his friend – after all, he wasn’t upset at her. And he wasn’t truly upset with his – and he’d call them this with the most kindness he could muster – _acquaintance_ that he'd come to know, either.

It was simply that, even with all the friends they did make, without them…

…things were just so lonely.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after going to Ginza myself, actually! Japan's pretty cool -- their train system is honestly the main driving force that makes me want to live there sometime. Also, for some reason everyone had neutral pronouns in the draft I had, so apologies if some of them still remain!


End file.
